This invention relates generally to the field of toy guns and crossbows, and more particularly to a pistol crossbow assembly that includes a bow which is pivotably connected to the nose area of a gun in order that it can rotate and lay substantially parallel to the plane of the gun when packaged.
Toy gun assemblies which include a gun member and a crossbow member connected thereto have become popular as toys for both children and adults alike. This is because of the novel feature of combining a toy gun with a toy bow in one single device.
The crossbow assembly is often packaged completely assembled to enable the user to operate the toy without having to first determine how to attach the various components. However, if the device is packaged fully assembled, it may take up a large amount of space, thus requiring a large and bulky packaging vehicle.
In order to reduce the size and bulkiness of the assembly when packaged, it has been suggested to use a hinge mechanism when connecting the bow to the gun. With such a construction, the bow may be pivoted relative to the gun at the hinge so that it can lay parallel to the longitudinal axis of the barrel of the gun. This substantially reduces the space occupied by the assembly.
However, this type of construction is not completely satisfactory. Since a hinge mechanism is involved, the gun assembly is susceptible to breakage when pivoting the bow from an inoperative position to an operative position.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a pistol crossbow assembly which has a reduced packaging size, but which is not susceptible to breakage when the bow is pivoted from an inoperative position to an operative position.